Dining Around The Desert: The Chateau At Lake La Quinta

Views From The Bistro's Patio Deck

Located just a few blocks from our La Quinta real estate offices you’ll discover Lake La Quinta. This gated community of homes features a 25-acre private lake with electric boating, kayaking, fishing and more. In the near future residents of Lake La Quinta will be able to dock their boats right at the Chateau.

Located on the West side of Lake La Quinta is The Chateau at Lake La Quinta (formerly the Lake La Quinta Inn). The Chateau is a boutique hotel offering newly remodeled rooms overlooking the lake.

My husband Bill and I have been watching the progress of the Chateau’s recent addition and remodel the last few months as we drive by it on Caleo Bay Road near our offices. After hearing about their bistro, we recently decided to stop in and check things out.

The Bistro’s Soft Opening

R To L: Sheri, Bistro Mgr Chris, & Sous Chef ManualThe Bistro is not advertising yet as they are working on permission for more parking across the street for the restaurant. They are also working on ramping up their service and menu with the goal to be ready to promote the Bistro this fall.

First off, let’s just say that the location is beautiful and unique to the Palm Springs area. Outside the small bistro, you’ll find a large patio right on the Lake, and the setting couldn’t be better. There’s even a wood burning pizza oven on the patio. And since the patio faces East, you’ll get welcome shade later in the evening as you watch the electric boats pass.

Salads, Sandwiches & More

On our recent visit, the bistro had about ten items on the menu. We’ve enjoyed the Spring Salad with fresh strawberries, raspberries and Feta with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing–one of the better simple salads we’ve enjoyed here in the desert.

In the interest of sampling for this review, I enjoyed the Munster Grilled Cheese sandwich stuffed with Proscuitto and Pesto and another day the Salmon with Mashed Potatoes and Vegetables.

Flatbread Pizza From The Patio Pizza Oven

Bill sampled the Flatbread Pizza that you could customize to your liking and also the Filet Newport. In spite of being over-cooked one time and under-cooked the next, it was a high-quality piece of meat. In fact, we found all of the ingredients are of very high quality, and you cannot argue with the integrity of the food.

We are looking forward to seeing what evolves from this summer’s experimentation as we like the setting, and we’d love to put the Chateau into our regular restaurant rotation! In the meantime, I’d highly recommend libations and flatbread or salads on the patio.

Worth noting is the fact that some people might be put off by the bistro’s automatic 20% gratuity on all checks. The Chateau also features a full bar and a limited selection of wine by the glass.

A Room On The Lake

And if you’re looking for a place to stay, the Chateau is worth checking out. The reviews on TripAdvisor are very good. The Chateau At Lake La Quinta: 78-120 Caleo Bay, La Quinta, between Avenue 47 and 48, one block East of Washington Street. (760) 564-7332